Suzen and I have long, but not lazy, weekends. We tend to spend them at farmers’ markets and then in the kitchen. A long recipe and bottle of wine, plus a couple of football games, is our Sunday ritual. We have time to cook. We make time to cook.
We are empty nesters, with the kids long gone. But, many of you have full nests and very dense weekend schedules: soccer, football, band, dance, gym, … You live in your car and on your cell phone. You wait for Monday when you can recover from the weekend.
Of course, on that busy weekend, you still need to eat and you may want to cook. How about a simple, one dish meal, filled with flavor and ideal for leftovers the next day or deep into the work week. That’s what this dish is: loads of flavor, easily doubled in size if you want those leftovers, and prepared in less than an hour. It’s actually a great family dish for group participation in your kitchen: lots of “little” steps that you can assign to those junior soccer players. When this dish is finished, those kids are going to smile in delight. They may not score a goal, but with this dish they will score a flavor.
Chicken and Chorizo over Jasmine Rice
Yield: serves 6-8
Ingredients:
- 3 whole garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 whole chicken, skin on (3 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 ounces Spanish chorizo, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 3 scallions, green and white parts, chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 1 pound plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 2 cups long-grain white rice, preferably Jasmine
- 2 ½ cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Preparation:
Mince and mash the whole garlic cloves to a paste with the salt, then transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the lime juice and oregano. Add the chicken pieces and rub all over with the marinade until well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 1 hour.
Spread the chicken over a baking sheet covered with paper towels and pat dry. Season with pepper on all sides.
In a large heavy sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken skin side down and cook until lightly browned all over, about 3 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl and cover with foil to keep it moist.
If there is too much fat in the pan, drain a little. If there is a lot of garlic stuck to the pan, deglaze with about ½ cup water, scraping the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil. Strain into a bowl and set aside.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same pan over medium heat, add the chorizo, and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to the bowl with the chicken. Cover again.
Keeping the fat that's left in the pan, reduce the heat to low, add the onions and scallions, and cook until softened, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Add the thyme, paprika, bay leaves, and tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir well, making sure every grain is shiny and well mixed into the vegetable mixture. (If you would like to add the deglazing juices from the chicken, now is the time.) Then add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the chicken, sausage, and any juice that accumulated in the bowl, arranging it all evenly over the rice. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook gently until the rice has absorbed all the liquid, 20 to 30 minutes.
Stir in the butter gently and serve, garnished with the parsley…
Source: My Rio de Janeiro, A Cookbook, by Leticia Moreinos Schwartz
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/4 for1/15th second at ISO‑3200